Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spool braking device for applying a braking force to a spool that is rotatably supported by a reel body, along with a fishing reel that comprises this device.
Background Information
In a fishing reel, when a spool wound with fishing line is rotated to unreel the fishing line, there are cases in which backlash, which is when the rotational speed of the spool becomes faster than the line delivering speed during casting, occurs. When backlash occurs, so-called line slack, in which the fishing line sags causing the fishing line become tangled, occurs. Thus, a braking device that applies a braking force to the rotating reel to prevent backlash is provided. There are, in general, roughly two types of braking devices. One uses centrifugal force to apply a frictional force to the freely rotating spool, and the other applies a magnetic force to the freely rotating spool.
A braking device that applies a braking force to a freely rotating spool by applying a magnetic force comprises, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1998-262518, a conductor provided to either the spool or the reel body; a magnet provided to the other of the spool or the reel body, which stops the rotation of the spool by applying a magnetic force to the conductor, a spool rotational speed controlling means that increases/decreases the magnetic force applied to the conductor by the magnet in response to the increase/decrease of the rotational speed of the spool and that controls the rotational speed of the spool; and a control effect adjustment means for adjusting the magnitude of the control effect that the spool rotational speed controlling means produces based on the increase/decrease of the rotational speed. A fishing reel in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1998-262518 controls the rotational speed of the spool by relatively moving either the conductor or the magnet with respect to the other according to the increase/decrease of the rotational speed of the spool, thereby increasing/decreasing the magnetic force that the magnet applies to the conductor according to the rotational speed of the spool. Consequently, decreasing the magnetic force that acts on the conductor is possible, and reducing the braking force with respect to the spool, until the rotational speed of the spool becomes relatively high in the initial stage immediately after the beginning of casting, is possible; therefore, eliminating an unnecessary load of the braking force with respect to the spool is possible. As a result, improving the flight distance of the tackle while increasing the release speed of the fishing line from the spool is possible.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2013-236606 discloses a spool braking device comprising a conductor that rotates in conjunction with the spool, a magnet that is movable in the axial direction with respect to the reel body and that opposes the conductor in the radial direction, and a braking force adjustment means for stopping the rotation of the spool. The braking force adjustment means changes the range of opposition at which the conductor and the magnet are opposed in the radial direction and varies the amount of magnetic flux of the magnet that acts on the conductor according to changes in the opposing range by moving the magnet in the axial direction with respect to the reel body, based on the magnetic force of the magnet that acts on the conductor, when the conductor is rotated in a state in which the magnet and the conductor are opposing each other in the radial direction. The spool braking device of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2013-236606 is configured to adjust the braking force within a wide range and to appropriately apply to the spool a braking force corresponding to the rotation of the spool.